Blends of poly(p-methylstyrene) with polyfunctional monomer

ABSTRACT

There is provided a blend of poly(p-methylstyrene) with a small amount of a polyfunctional monomer, such as trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. The blend can be formed into shaped articles, such as food containers, which can be crosslinked by irradiation at low doses. Such irradiated articles are resistant to microwave oven conditions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser.No. 971,179, field Dec. 20, 1978, now abandonded.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is concerned with blends of poly(p-methylstyrene) withpolyfunctional monomers, which can be crosslinked by ionizing radiationat low dosage levels.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Insofar as is now known, the blends of this invention have not beenproposed. Surprisingly, corresponding blends with polystyrene are notcrosslinked by radiation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides blends of poly(p-methylstyrene) with betweenabout 0.1 weight percent and about 10 weight percent of a polyfunctionalmonomer.

It also provides a method of making shaped articles that are resistantto fatty foods under microwave oven conditions, that comprises forming ablend of poly(p-methylstyrene) with between about 0.1 weight percent andabout 10 weight percent of a polyfunctional monomer into a foamed orunfoamed sheet, thermoforming said sheet to produce a shaped article,and irradiating the shaped article with sufficient ionizing radiation toeffect crosslinking sufficient to render the shaped article resistant tofatty foods under microwave oven conditions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

The monomer used in preparing the homopolymer or copolymers from whichthe blends of this invention are made is p-methylstyrene. It is withinthe contemplation of this invention to use mixtures of methylstyrenerich in p-methylstyrene. Such mixtures contain at least 90 weightpercent, preferably at least 95 weight percent, p-methylstyrene and lessthan 0.1 weight percent o-methylstyrene with the balance beingm-methylstyrene. A typical mixture contains, by weight, about 95 percentp-methylstyrene, about 5 percent m-methylstyrene, and about 0.05 percento-methylstyrene. The mixtures are obtained by catalytic dehydrogenationof the mixtures of ethylmethyl benzene isomers described in U.S. Pat.No. 4,086,287 to which reference is made.

The polymers contemplated herein are p-methylstyrene orp-methylstyrene-rich isomer mixture homopolymer or their copolymerscontaining between about 10 and about 1 weight percent conjugated diene,such as butadiene and isoprene. The polymerization reaction is carriedout by using methods and catalysts well known in the art forpolymerizing styrene. The reaction can be carried out in solution, bulk,suspension, or emulsion.

In accordance with this invention, the material that is blended with thepoly(p-methylstyrene) is a polyfunctional (polyunsaturated) monomer.Typical monomers contemplated are divinylbenzene; neopentylglycoldiacrylate; neopentylglycol dimethacrylate; trimethylolpropanetriacrylate; trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate; allyl methacrylate;pentaerythritol triacrylate; pentaerythritol tetramethacrylate;bisphenol-A dimethacrylate; butylene glycol dimethacrylate;tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate; 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate;1,6-hexanediol diacrylate; diethyleneglycol diacrylate; diethyleneglycoldimethacrylate; n-hexenyl methacrylate; polyethyleneglycoldimethacrylate; tetraethyleneglycol dimethacrylate; ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate; diethylene glycol dimethacrylate; diallyl fumarate;diallyl phthalate; triallyl trimellitate; and tetrallyl pyromellitate.

Small amounts of polyfunctional monomers are effective to inducecrosslinking by radiation at low dosage level. Generally, between about0.1 weight percent and about 10 weight percent, preferably between about0.5 weight percent and about 5 weight percent, will be used. Blendingcan be effected in a variety of ways, such as in solution in aromaticsolvents, such as toluene, from which sheets or films can be cast. Theblend components can be mixed in a tumbling agitator and fed into anextruder to produce sheets, films, or foamed sheets, or they can be fedseparately to an extruder for extruder blending.

The blends of this invention can be formed into sheets, films, or foamedsheets and thermoformed to produce shaped articles, such as foodcontainers. After being irradiated, such shaped articles are heatresistant and are not affected by fatty foods under microwave ovenconditions.

Ionizing radiation is inclusive of extremely short-wavelength, highenergetic, penetrating rays such as gamma rays, X-rays, and subatomicparticles accelerated in cyclotrons, betatrons, synchrotrons, and linearaccelerators. The effect of irradiating the shaped articles is tocross-link the poly(p-methylstyrene) blend. The irradiation dose can bebetween about 5 megarads and about 30 megarads, whereaspoly(p-methylstyrene) requires between about 50 megarads and about 60megarads. Similar blends using polystyrene are not crosslinked at lowdosages.

EXAMPLE 1

Poly(p-methylstyrene) (PPMS), containing 3% meta isomer and 0.1% orthoisomer, was dissolved in toluene at a concentration of 25 weightpercent. Then, 5 weight percent trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate(TMPTMA) based on solids weight was added and dissolved. Films were castonto a smooth surface coated with polyethylene terephthalate and drawndown and dried to obtain a dried film thickness of about 2 mils. Filmsamples were irradiated by electron beam at various megarad (M Rads)doses. For each dosage level, crosslinking was determined by measuringsolubility of the irradiated films in toluene at room temperatureovernight. Any insoluble gel thus formed was filtered and dried toconstant weight at 115° C. For comparison, films of polystyrene (PS)containing 5 weight percent of the TMPTMA used above were irradiated andtested for gel content. Pertinent data are set forth in the followingTable I:

                  TABLE I                                                         ______________________________________                                                        Gel Content, %                                                Dose,           5% TMPTMA in                                                  M Rads          PPMS         PS                                               ______________________________________                                        0               0            0                                                2               0            0                                                12              9.1          0                                                22              70.2         70.2                                             ______________________________________                                    

From the data in Table I, it will be noted that at doses of about 20 MRads substantial crosslinking of the blend of PPMS and TMPTMA took placeas measured by gelation, whereas PS blends did not crosslink. With PPMSalone (unblended) doses in the order of 50-60 M Rads were required.Thus, using the blends of this invention considerable energy savings areeffected.

EXAMPLE 2

Blends of PPMS and of PS each with 5 weight percent divinylbenzene (DVB)based on total solids were prepared by melt blending in a Brabendermixer at 200° C. for 5 minutes. Each blend was dissolved in methylenechloride (25 wt. % solution and on a polyethylene terephthalate sheet.The solvent was evaporated at 60° C. in a vacuum oven to yield 3-4 milfilms. The films were irradiated by electron beam at two M Rads levels.Crosslinking was determined as described in Example 1. Pertinent dataare set forth in Table II.

                  TABLE II                                                        ______________________________________                                                        Gel Content, %                                                Dose,           5% DVB in                                                     M Rads          PPMS         PS                                               ______________________________________                                        10              79.4         0.05                                             30              68.0         2.9                                              ______________________________________                                    

The data in Table II show that the blend of PPMS was substantiallycrosslinked at doses as low as 10 M Rads.

Although the present invention has been described with preferredembodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variationsmay be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Suchvariations and modifications are considered to be within the purview andscope of the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A blend consisting essentially of poly(methylstyrene)containing at least 90 weight percent poly(p-methylstyrene) with betweenabout 0.1 weight percent and about 10 weight percent of a polyfunctionalmonomer.
 2. The blend of claim 1 containing between about 0.5 weightpercent and about 5 weight percent of said monomer.
 3. The blend ofclaim 2, wherein said monomer is trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. 4.The blend of claim 2, wherein said monomer is divinylbenzene.
 5. A blendas defined in claims 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein said poly(methylstyrene)contains 3 percent meta isomer and 0.1 percent ortho isomer, the balancebeing para isomer.